Tennessee
Tennessee, officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states.
Meaning & Origin of Tennessee
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tennessee, officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
Origin & history
The Story of Tennessee
As a girl name
Tennessee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 39 Tennessees were born — ranking #3,797 that year. As of 2026, Tennessee ranks #6,232 for girls with 19 births, falling sharply (-32%). In total, more than 998 Tennessees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Tennessee first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1995, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 28 Tennessees were born — ranking #3,774 that year. As of 2026, Tennessee ranks #6,976 for boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 392 Tennessees have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tennessee
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tennessee is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tennessee
What does the name Tennessee mean?
How popular is Tennessee in 2026?
When was Tennessee most popular?
In which U.S. states is Tennessee most popular?
Is Tennessee a unisex name?
What names go well with Tennessee?
About the name Tennessee
Tennessee is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 998 births in the dataset. Tennessee's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #556. Use the chart and map above to compare Tennessee's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.